Lomo Friday!

Why not give Friday a theme? And while we're at it, let's learn a little something today—Welcome to Lomo Friday. (Yes, that sentence has a horrible structure and some incorrect capitalization, eh!)

So what's Lomo or Lomography?

Essentially, it's a byproduct of really shittily made Russian cameras and film—nobody can convince me otherwise. While the Russians were still being commies, dropping $200 for a pair of American Levi's and running low on toilet paper, a company called LOMO PLC created a really crapfest of a camera, the LOMO LC-A Compact Automat. WOW! Real original Russia. I guess communism stripped you of the ability to come up with an original name too. Nothing says photo fun like "Compact Automat".

Anyway, the LOMO LC-A took shitty pictures. Colors were jacked up and over saturated. The images were blurry, off-kilter and looked like they'd been taken by some vodka swilling Ruskie simpleton. Mother Russia now claims the photos were supposed to capture a real snapshot feel. Really?!? I'd believe that train of logic if they'd said, (insert cliché Russian voice here), "we wanted every photo to capture the feeling of being drunk and riding 'round inside a clothes dryer for half hour, then when Ivan opens tiny door, boom, you take photo."

There's no way this was meant to be an intentional style of photography. 

Today's photo, which was oddly enough taken in Cincinnati, not Texas, is a recreation of a Lomo photo. Notice the darkness, the grain, the grit and the colors that aren't quite right by today's over corrected standards. That's Lomo.

Lomo has been popular for the last couple of years, and it almost emits a hipster-esque vibe with it, but it is a very interesting photo style and one, I have to admit, I'm kind of hooked on.

The whole ethos behind Lomography's "don't think, just shoot" I dig. It allows you to capture a dirtier, grimier version of what's really going on. It also fits well with Just Shit Talking, because let's face it, this site is never going to take a photo that will win any awards. My subject matter is gross, generally  offensive and 9 out of 10 the photos on this site are taken with cellphones.

If you want to make your own Lomo-like photos, it's pretty easy. Check this linky dink.

Also, hop over to Lomography.com for better examples and all the gear you need to get started taking actual Lomography.

Okay, my fingers are tired and I have real things to do. Keep it awesome.